Improvement in signal-whistles



T. c. BANKS. Signal Whistle.

y ?a fan Z02 Patented Sept 15,1863.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THADDEUS O. BANKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SIGNAL-WHISTLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,873, dated September 15, 1863; antedated April 26, 1861.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, THADDEUS C. BANKS, of the city and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Whistles for Signals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being bad to to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein- Figurel is a longitudinal section ofmy said whistle, and Fig. 2 is an end view with the axon th-piece removed.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

A necessity ot'ten exists for communicating information, orders, and messages by sound and a regular code of signals can be employed whereby certain pulsations of sound can be made to convey intelligence that otherwise could not be attained-in fact, a system of telegraphing by sound can be employed to great advantage in the movements of an army, or a fleet, in the duties ot'police officers, surveyors, and under many other circumstances.

The nature of my said invention consists in theconstruction of a metallic whistle adapted to such telegraphing by sound; and it consists in the employment of a mouth-piece screwed -upon the barrel of the whistle, and securing a diaphragm that directs the air to the whistling-mouth.

In the drawings, a is a metallic barrel ofthe desired size and shape, that shown in the drawings being of the size and shape which i prefer.

I) is a circular trumpet-shaped mouth-piece, as beingbest adapted to giving a full blast to the whistle and readily checking the sound by closing the lips. The mouth-piece b is screwed upon the barrel aat the point 0.

d is a diaphragm introduced between the mouth-piece b and barrel a, and said diaphragm is provided with notched or combshaped openings at,- e, to pass wind to the whistling-mouth f of the barrel a. A cord may be provided by means of which to sling the whistle on the person or otherwise carry the same.

The operation of my whistle will be apparent, for the trumpet-shaped mouthpiece e11- ables the operator to give distinct and clear pulsations of sound by opening or closing his lips within said mouthpiece. However, for the purposes of rapid com municatiomthe valve 43 may be provided, the same being set upon the stem 0, that passes through the end of the barrel a, where the finger can be applied at the end of said stem and the valve worked to give pulsations, upon thesame principles as a telegraphic finger-key, to denote signals by the length or grouping of the pulsations.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The trumpet-shaped mouth-piece b, in combination with the barrel a and diaphragm d, to form a signal-whistle, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The valve 4', applied to the said mouthpiece I) and whistle, for the purposes and as specified.

' In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 7th day of October, 1861.

THADDEUS O. BANKS. Witnesses:

JOHN F. GRAY, Tnos. GEo. HAROLD. 

